Enyart releases 10 years of tax returns

By The Associated Press

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Democrat running for Illinois' 12th Congressional District seat has released 10 years of tax returns and urged his Republican opponent to do the same.

Former Illinois National Guard Adjutant General William Enyart brought the stack of tax returns to a news conference Thursday at The Southern Illinoisan. Enyart said he also has asked the Internal Revenue Service for tax records dating back to 1982 and plans to release those as well.

"The people you hire to write your tax policy, to write your budgets must be open and transparent about their interests in that tax policy," Enyart said. "The only way for that to happen is for candidates to publicly release their tax returns."

Enyart's opponent, Republican Jason Plummer, has said his Federal Financial Disclosure form shows more information than a tax return. Plummer has resisted disclosing his tax returns.

"First and foremost, I think it's an argument against capitalism, I think it's an argument against the private sector," Plummer said earlier this year.

Enyart files joint tax returns with his wife, retired St. Clair County Circuit Judge Annette Eckert, who is now a professor at Lindenwood University-Belleville. Last year, their adjusted gross income was more than $380,000 and they paid more than $90,000 in income taxes.

Enyart and Plummer are facing off in the race to replace incumbent Congressman Jerry Costello, who is retiring after 24 years in office.

Both candidates have agreed to two debates. One will be at WSIU-TV in Carbondale on Aug. 15, while the other will be Sept. 20 at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center in Marion.

Only two people, both Democrats, have represented the 12th District since World War II. The district stretches from the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis to the state's southernmost tip.